Since moving to the Smokies five years ago, my family has really come to love the holidays here. There are a number of fun things we look forward to doing every year and that have become part of our family’s annual holiday traditions. Here are our Top Five Christmas and Holidays Experiences in the Smokies we enjoy!
5. Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony in Sevierville
On Friday, December 6, from 5:30-8:30 pm, Sevierville steps back in time with an old-fashioned Christmas tree lighting service at the Sevier County Courthouse. You almost feel like you are on the movie set of It’s a Wonderful Life. My kids love this event that features with holiday music, children’s crafts, photos with Santa and delicious holiday snacks.
4. Kodak Parade
On Sunday, December 8, from 3-4 pm, the Kodak Christmas Parade is certain to delight your kiddos as much as mine. It starts at Northview Primary, and travels down Douglas Dam Road and turns right at the four-way stop before ending at the Kodak Optimist park. The parade had 55 participants last year and is a really sweet way to celebrate the holiday season. https://www.facebook.com/events/kodak-tn-37764/kodak-christmas-parade/630534082554225/
3. Polka Dot Pots
Located inside Wilderness at the Smokies, Polka Dot Pots is a paint your own pottery venue, where you can pick out seasonal ceramics to paint with your family. My kids love picking out special keepsake projects that they can paint and then use for holiday decorations around our house or give as gifts to our friends and loved ones.
Polka Dot Pots is open to the public daily starting at 9 am. For more information visit: https://polkadotpots.com/
2. Wilderness at the Smokies Ice Rink
There’s something that’s surreal about ice skating on a real outdoor ice rink in the Smokies. You kind of feel like you are in one of those sappy Hallmark holiday movies, and my wife and kids absolutely love it.
The Wilderness at the Smokies’ 3,200 square foot ice rink is open daily from November 8 – January 13 for resort guests and the public. On Friday and Saturday nights they have a DJ playing fun music and surrounding rink is Wilderland, where you can grab a snack, chill by fire pits and even catch Santa some nights. It’s a super experience for your family.
1. Shadrack’s Light Show and Soaky Village
My kids also loving hoping in our car and hitting Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland Drive-Thru Light Show at Soaky Mountain. There are a bunch of different holiday-themed scenes synchronized to music that you play on your radio as you drive through it. At the end you can park your car and go into the Snowy Mountain Village inside of Soaky Mountain Waterpark for treats, crafts, rides, photo ops are more.
The light show runs nightly from November 15-January 5 and Snowy Mountain Village is open November 15-17 and again from November 22-December 30. Admission fees are per vehicle and can be found at https://www.shadrackchristmas.com/sevierville-tn. Tickets are required.